When we last checked in on Jackson County, the libraries were shuttered, the timber money was toast, and the budget was submerged in $23 million of red ink. Given the ongoing recession, it's hard to imagine the current status of that county's economic meltdown.

You can say that again.

The libraries have reopened, in a public-private partnership. The county is so flush with cash that it is directing the reauthorized timber payments into a rainy day fund that stands at $70 million. Danny Jordan, the county administrator, estimates budget reductions and staffing cuts will generate $62 million in savings over a five-year period.